The scaffolding finally came down on 3rd November enabling us to see the new windows, as well as the repairs to the masonry and brickwork on the upper half of the Tower. This marks the completion of the building stabilisation work carried out over the past 18 months. The next step with this restoration is to submit our bid for funding to the National Lottery Heritage Fund. The project will cost around £2M and while we hope that the NLHF will fund a significant amount of this, we will still have to raise about £500k from other sources.
In addition to fund-raising, we are working with local organisations to make the Palace a venue for community events. This year we will again be hosting Santa’s Grotto, organised by the Otford Society. Keep in touch for more information on the 2024 May Day event, and the performance of Midsummer by the Sevenoaks Shakespeare Company, in mid-May.
The Archbishops Palace Conservation Trust will be working hard over the next year!